Homelessness in Vancouver facts for kids
Homelessness in Vancouver is a big problem in British Columbia, Canada. It has grown quickly over the last ten years. The United Nations says homelessness can be "absolute" or "relative." Absolute homelessness means someone has no proper physical shelter. Relative homelessness means someone lives in unsafe or unhealthy conditions, even if they have a roof over their head. This includes not feeling safe or not having a steady income.
Around 2,651 people in Vancouver faced one of these types of homelessness in 2011. Some were also moving between these situations. This problem started when the government cut money for affordable housing. When the cost of regular homes went up, it became a main reason for homelessness in Vancouver. Not having enough money is another big cause. People experiencing homelessness in Vancouver often face a lot of crime. The city and other groups have tried to help reduce the number of people without homes in Greater Vancouver. By 2011, the number of homeless people in Vancouver stopped growing, but it was not getting smaller either.
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How Homelessness Started and Who it Affects
Homelessness was not a big issue in Vancouver before the 1980s. Before then, there were usually enough affordable homes. This was thanks to a government program called the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which started in 1946. However, in the 1980s, the government cut funding for affordable housing programs across the country.
After these cuts, more homes were built, but they were mostly expensive ones by private companies. This meant that housing became too costly for some people with lower incomes.
Who is Affected by Homelessness?
Homelessness affects different groups of people unevenly. Aboriginal people and those of European descent make up a large part of the homeless population. About 30 percent of Vancouver's homeless are Aboriginal people. This is a big number, as they are only 2 percent of the total population of Greater Vancouver. Only 8 percent of homeless people said they were not Aboriginal, European, or born in Canada.
Homeless Youth and Seniors
The issue of homeless youth (young people) on the streets of Vancouver has become clear. It is hard to count how many young people are homeless because they often avoid shelters. Homeless youth are usually defined as those who left home at age 16 and are up to 24 years old. However, most homeless adults in Vancouver are between 35 and 44. Homeless men are usually 25 to 44, and homeless women tend to be older.
The number of homeless senior citizens (older adults) in Greater Vancouver almost tripled between 2002 and 2005. In Canada, about one-third of all homeless people are considered homeless youth. By 2008, half of Vancouver's homeless had been without a home for over a year. Also, 90 percent of them were alone, without a partner, child, or pet. Homeless youth in Vancouver are less likely to be alone, and the number of homeless boys and girls is about equal.
In 2011, a count by Metro Vancouver found that the total number of homeless people stayed the same. However, fewer people were sleeping on the streets, and more were staying in shelters. The number of homeless families, women, and youth also increased.
In December 2016, the City of Vancouver opened community centres for homeless people to stay overnight. These were called warming centres. This decision caused some debate and the program was stopped in most centers. Some people felt that regular staff were not trained to help homeless people.
Why People Become Homeless
The two main reasons for homelessness in Vancouver are not having enough money and the high cost of housing. In 2005, these two factors explained about 66 percent of Vancouver's homeless population. By 2008, this number went down to 44 percent.
Not Enough Income
Not having enough money was the biggest reason for homelessness in 2005, affecting about 44 percent of Vancouver's homeless. Even though this dropped to 25 percent in 2008, it was still the top reason. Many homeless people in Vancouver receive welfare support. However, this money is often not enough to pay for rent in many parts of the city. Still, government income help provides much of the money for Vancouver's homeless. They also get extra money from side jobs, like collecting cans or asking for donations.
High Cost of Housing
The high cost of housing was the second biggest reason for homelessness. It affected about 22 percent of Vancouver's homeless in 2005 and 19 percent in 2008.
Between 1994 and 2001, the government gave more support for social housing (affordable homes). But after 2001, until 2006, this support decreased. In fact, in 2006, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UNCESCR) told the Canadian government to treat homelessness and bad housing as a national emergency. Because of this, homelessness in Vancouver grew very quickly. The number of people on the street jumped from 1,121 in 2002 to 2,174 in 2005. In 2006, problems in Vancouver's housing market made it harder to get support for social housing, even though the government announced new plans. This led to a shortage of affordable social housing for people with low incomes.
What is Being Done to Help?
The Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness (RSCH) was started in 2000. It is a group of community organizations and different levels of government (city, province, and federal). They created a 10-year plan called Three Ways to Home to deal with homelessness. This plan was updated in 2003 and again in 2013. It focuses on three main parts: affordable housing, support services, and enough income. Since 2011, Metro Vancouver has managed a federal fund for homelessness with the RSCH.
One of the best ways to help is to prevent people from becoming absolutely homeless. This means helping those who are close to losing their homes or living in unsafe conditions. The government could increase welfare support. The number of people using welfare went up by 13 percent between 2005 and 2008.
Many groups, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, charities, and religious groups, help homeless people in Vancouver. However, their help is not always steady and can be spread out across the city.
In 2006, Greater Vancouver was spending about $51 million each year just to keep helping the street homeless population as it was. But experts estimated that about $250 million a year would be needed to truly fix the problem.
Also in 2006, Vancouver's mayor, Sam Sullivan, started Project Civil City. This project aimed to deal with homelessness and make the city look better for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It included plans for social housing and care, though it caused some debate.
In 2007, the provincial government bought large areas of land around Greater Vancouver and Victoria. Their goal was to turn the old single-room-occupancy hotels on this land into affordable housing.
A group called Pivot Legal Society worked hard to convince the provincial government to buy these hotels. Since it started in 2000, Pivot Legal Society has been active in finding solutions for homelessness and other social issues in Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver has also done many studies, like the 2011 Pathways Out of Homelessness Study. These studies help them better understand how to solve the homelessness situation.
